Lamp-closure fastener



Feb. 21, 1928. 1,660,120

L. F. ERHART I LAMP CLOSURE FASTENER Filed April 20, 1926 W I 2a Him m AHOHNEY Patented Feb. 21, 1928.

Louis n. mania. or: nssrenonfro ,J. do rtooltin" LAmnooMPA'NY; or CINCINNATI, oHIofA conrormfrrou or onto? 1 1 Laurette-anesthesia;

Applicatioii filed hp 11 2c, 1926. "serial no. 103,276.

This invention is particularly designed for lamps of the type used on automobiles and relates to a means for securing the door or closure on thebody of such lamps, a'part'icu'i lar object" being to produce aclosure fasten er in which a'dust proof, moisture proof and vibrationless" closing of the. reflector and glass or lens coveringelements is secured with a simple, nea't,- easily operated, cheap and substantial embodiment of cooperating elements. I

These and othe'r'objects are attained in the fastener describe'd in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which: i I 7 v Fig. 1 is a sectional'ele'vati'on of an automobil'e' lamp equipped with a fastener embodying my invention.

Fig, 2 is a front elevation of'the lamp shown in Fig. :1, certain parts having been shown broken away and in section for clearness of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a somewhat enlarged fragmental sectional view showing one position in the operation of the fastener shown in Figs. 1 and2. 1

Fig. 4 is a view the substantial duplicate of that shown in Fig. 3, but'disclosing the position assumed by the parts upon completion of the fastening operation.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are views similar to Figs. 3 and4, but upon reduced scales and showing modifications of the fastener shown in Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawing.

The lamp to which my improved fastener has been applied, consists of the usual body 8 which contains a reflector 9 supported upon the body rim 10 at the open end of the body, a lamp bulb 11 being located within the reflector and a lens 12 closing the re flector mouth, with a closure rim 13 over the open end of the body for holding the lens in position. A packing or cushion ring. 14 is provided on the reflector to enable the lens to close it against dust and moisture when the rim 13 is clamped in position.

At the open end of the lamp body a grooved flange 15 is formed. This flange, as shown in the four main figures of the drawing, is inwardly curved in somewhat semicircular form, although it may partake of other sha es as shown in Figs. 5-, 6 and 7 andas'wil be described. The closure rim 13 is preferably formed with a turned over or heated rear edge 16 which carries the rear edge a a band it which i. Shasta Costa stantiallyfit the shape of the rowers of the body. This vband is freeof the closure rim and is 'somewhat yielding not onlly throughout its length, but also transversely as represented by its cross section "shown in Figs'l, 3 and 4 The band is not continuous,

that is, it has two en'ds'wliiclr carry lugsjirls and; 19." These lugsXtend .tl1rough-a slot 20 in the rearward flange 21 of the door rim", so that by means of a screw 22 they maybe drawn toward each other, thereby tightehing the band about the body grooved flange '15 andv making the band'tend to fit moreper' fectly within the bodygroove.

Owing to the cushion effect produced by the packing 14, the .first position.taken. by

theclosure when the "rim .13 is placed over v the open end of the body and theniprs'sed back so as to. cause the band 17. to just begin to enter the groove 15, is that shown in Figs. 1 and 3. However, when the screw 22' is tightened, the ends of the band are drawn toward each other, thereby contracting the band and bringing its inclined surface and that of the groove at or about the point 23, into intimate relationship to cause sliding action of the band surface over the groove surface. This causes the rear. edge 24 of the band to press upon the hooked rear edge 16 of the closure rim, thereby drawing or forcing it backwardly, allowing the band curvature to more nearly fit that of the groove as shown in Fig. 4, as well as causing the packing ring 14 to be compressed as shown in Fig. 4, to completely seal the reflector. It will thus be seen that the forward or free edge of the band may yield upon the rim flange 21 as the band becomes subjected to different conditions of tension or shape. but that the rear edge of the band will be held by the hooked rear edge of the rim to cause it to be pushed or drawn backwardly.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7, I have shown that the shape of band and cooperating groove as disclosed in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, need not be strictly adhered to in order to produce the results desired and within the scope of the field of novelty of the invention I am setting forth herein. For example. in Fig. 5 I have shown aband' 25 and cooperating groove 26 which are of substantial V shape. This quite obvious that such a construction e111 produce the same results steered by the that the manner in which operation is secured is identical. In'Fig. 6 I have shown a form of band 27 and groove 28 having but one incline. This however does not alter the function or operation of the device in any manner. This is also true of the form shown in Fig. 7 which is quite similar to the first described form of the invention. Here the band 29 and groove 30 are merely provided with lipped edges to facilitate freedom of sliding action of the handover the rearwardly extending flange of the closure rim as the transverse shape of the band is changed upon operation of its clamping means. It is also quite obvious that any suitable means may be employed. for drawing the ends of the band toward each other in order to producethenecessary clamping action. V

And now, in addition to the features which I have set forth, there isan added feature obtained in providing the band 17, 25, 27, and 29 with the necessary number of glass clips which will hold the closure glass 12 in place on the closure rim, after the manner disclosed-by theclips 31 shown in Figs. 2,3, and 4. These clipsare secured to the band by soldering, rivets or' other suitable manner. These clips are so shaped at their free ends that they press yieldingly upon and in hooked relation with the closure glass to retain it in position in the closure rim. The particular advantage of such a unit construction of glass clips and contractible band lies'in the r'apidity'with which closure rim, glass, band and. clips maybe 1 assembled by but substantially a single op-- eration, namely,; the placing of the band within the closure rim.

' Having thus described invention what I claim is: 1

An automobile lampv COIIIPIISIHg'ZI bodyhavlng an open end, a reflect-or mounted within the open end of the body, a glass k closing the reflector, and "a hollow cl sure rim having an abutment on its. rear edge formed by turning its rear edge inwardly, said rim closing thebodyfandadaptedto hold the glass .in position, said body. having a groove inclined toward the rear adjacent to the open end, a contraotibleband occupying the hollow of the rim, in. normal engagement with the rim abutment, and means adapted to contract the band aboutthe body fand into the'groove.

In testimony whereof I have here t affixed my signature LOUIS ERHART. 

